Synonyms of supersede

supersede

verb

ˌsü-pər-ˈsēd 

as in to replace

to take the place of

that edition of the dictionary that you have has been superseded by a more recent one

Synonyms & Similar Words

• replace
• supplant
• substitute
• relieve
• displace
• usurp
• displant
• preempt
• cut out

Synonym Chooser

How is the word supersede distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of supersede are displace, replace, and supplant. While all these words mean "to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another," supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

When is it sensible to use displace instead of supersede?

The synonyms displace and supersede are sometimes interchangeable, but displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

When can replace be used instead of supersede?

While the synonyms replace and supersede are close in meaning, replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

Where would supplant be a reasonable alternative to supersede?

The meanings of supplant and supersede largely overlap; however, supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of supersede

The Justice Department unsealed a superseding indictment against Venezuela's president and his wife, adding to previous indictments from 2020. —Carrie Kahn, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026

Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, a political figure in her own right, was named alongside the president’s son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, in a superseding indictment unsealed Saturday in federal court in Manhattan. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026

In other countries with levies and similar diktats, streamers have shown caution, but their local ambitions may supersede reservations – Australia has provided hits such as The Artful Dodger, Colin From Accounts and The Newsreader in recent years. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Dec. 2025

In March 1943, an order from the adjutant general’s office superseded this directive. —Time, 5 Nov. 2025

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